Last year we “met” Warm Places, one of the most interesting projects coming out of the fertile Northern Mexico territory. Hailing from Tijuana and brandishing a menacing but catchy take on dance music, Xavi Vilaplana sure knows how to make music that points toward the extreme while making you dance the night away. Now he’s back with a brand new EP.
T o S t r e a m A C u r s e is a perfect introduction to Warm Places if you haven’t checked out the project yet. It features the trappy vibes that have informed his work to date. It’s aggressive, just a touch gothic, and noisy where it counts, played off a bed of synthy melodicism. There’s also a deep sense of groove in everything Vilaplana does. Buzzing electronics seesaw throughout the eight-plus minutes that make up A C u r s e. There’s a ton of beauty in what he does, but still with the sense of menace that’s characterized him from the start.
Since playing All My Friends last year, Warm Places has released a few things, most notably the PALACIOS 3 album for the Mexican division of Arts & Crafts. Check out T o S t r e a m A C u r s e above.